ENHANCING URBAN DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT: A TRANSNATIONAL ANALYSIS OF SEISMIC RISK ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORKS IN EUROPE

This paper presents a comparative analysis of seismic risk assessment frameworks within the context of urban disaster risk management (DRM) in European transnational borders, as part of the BORIS2 project. BORIS2 project aims to enhance multi-risk assessment methodologies for emergency conditions at urban scales across country borders in Europe. The project seeks to establish a replicable model of cross-border cooperation in the prevention phase of natural disasters, thereby enhancing the capacity of EU countries to manage and mitigate risks associated with seismic and flood events. In this paper, the synthesis of methodologies from Italy, Slovenia, Austria, Turkey, and Montenegro is presented, highlighting the integration and implementation challenges of DRM strategies in managing seismic risk. The research is focused on the evaluation of current seismic risk assessment methods at urban scale. Each country's approach is reviewed, with special attention to hazard, vulnerability, and exposure models for critical structures and infrastructures. The findings reveal significant variation in seismic risk preparedness and response frameworks, underlining best practices and pinpointing areas needing alignment or improvement. For instance, some countries developed advanced tools for evaluating operational efficiency of DRM based on the concept of emergency limit conditions compared to more basic approaches in other countries. The paper discusses these disparities and suggests recommendations for the harmonization of civil protection systems to enhance cross-border disaster preparedness, contributing to the overall goals of BORIS2 in advancing multi-risk assessments in Europe.